1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of real-time social interactions in virtual environments. More specifically, the present invention is related to providing a mechanism for capturing and reviewing a social interaction, including all of the associated feedback given during the interaction.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In virtual environments, people are able to use their avatars to collaborate by getting together and interacting with other avatars much as people do in the real world. When collaborating, they can give presentations, discuss issues, go places, work together, and use tools in the environment that may be linked to real world tools such as data centers Akin to real world interactions, virtual world interactions are ephemeral, but the value of the collaboration is not merely the completion of the activity, but in the patterns of interaction that occurred in order to complete the activity.
Capturing the interactions, especially the evidence of rapid cognition, which is understood to be crucial in the decision making process, and the real-time feedback linked to the current activity, could be very difficult in the real world. One could video record the activity, but it would not capture the entirety of the interactions because there are a number of things happening that cannot be fully captured by a single camera: avatars communicating through verbal and non-verbal communication (e.g., gesturing, using body language, eye contact, etc), using text chats, and using tools in the environment.
It is also difficult to review these video-taped interactions for both highlights of the interactions or particular types of interactions. Reviewing video tape is a slow and arduous process, especially when looking for slight non-verbal cues that avatars might give when providing real-time feedback (e.g. nodding or shaking head)
An added difficulty when reviewing collaborative activities is capturing enough of the activity itself (e.g. which slide was currently being reviewed in the presentation when an avatar nodded his head to agree with the statement that was made). What is lacking in the prior art is a system and method that synchronizes the avatar interactions with the specific activity being done or tool that was being used.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of the prior art that allows for real-time feedback in a virtual environment. FIG. 1 illustrates an interaction between two users in virtual environment 120. Each user has real-time feedback interface 110 or 112. As shown in FIG. 2, a user initiates the communication in step 210 and may choose a real-time feedback option in step 220. The chosen feedback is displayed in the virtual environment in step 230, and each user can choose another feedback option at a later time by returning back to step 220.